Civil justice statistics in Scotland: 2011-2012

1. Introduction

1.1 The new statistical bulletin Civil Law Statistics in Scotland 2011-12 provides information about cases which have gone through the civil courts in Scotland, together with some wider, contextual information about the extent of civil problems in Scotland. It presents data on first instance cases and appeals which have been heard in both the Court of Session and the Sheriff Courts.

1.2 This bulletin replaces Civil Judicial Statistics which was published in 2010 and 2011, following the comprehensive Review of Civil Judicial Statistics. The main change incorporated in Civil Law Statistics in Scotland 2011-12 is that the information has been presented in chapters relating to specific subjects. The purpose of this is to present all subject-related statistics in one location to make it easier to obtain a fuller understanding of the issues in each area. Additionally, statistics on divorce and dissolution which were previously presented in the Divorces and Dissolutions in Scotland bulletin have been incorporated within Civil Law Statistics in Scotland and are no longer published separately.

1.3 All tables presented in the bulletin are also available on the Civil Law Statistics in Scotland website. Also available on the website are additional tables which cover cases not included within the chapters in the main bulletin. These are mainly presented by court and court procedure and include data on delivery, implement, intellectual property, interdict and succession, as well as more detailed appeals data.

1.4 It is important to note that, throughout the bulletin, data are presented on the 'principal crave' only. An individual case can involve a number of different case types. The case type which is listed first on the writ / summons is normally known as the 'principal crave', with the others described as 'ancillary craves'. All the tables in this bulletin show the case type of the 'principal crave' only - information on 'ancillary craves' is not included. This is an area that will be investigated further during 2013, with a view to including analyses of ancillary craves in the next edition of the bulletin.

1.5 The data in this bulletin are used within the Scottish Government to inform decision and policy making and to monitor the legislative impacts of policies which have been implemented. They are also made use of in resource allocation in the Scottish Courts and to support third sector activity in terms of lobbying and funding applications. Furthermore, the data are used to inform the public about the business of the Scottish Courts, as well as to facilitate academic research.